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MLB Playoffs: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Game 1 Thread

By Paul Ashley

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 11: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox talks with Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees before a game on April 11, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 11: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox talks with Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees before a game on April 11, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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The New York Yankees will face off with the Boston Red Sox in the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2004 and this should be a can’t miss playoff series.

For each game this postseason, you will find a “game thread” here on Call To The Pen. This will be a spot that you can count on fans of the game to be around for chat on the game as it happens throughout the MLB playoffs in the month of October, all the way through the World Series.

In the 2018 regular season, the New York Yankees won 100 games.  However, as the Boston Red Sox won 108 games, the Yankees had to settle for a Wild Card matchup against the 96-win Oakland Athletics.  The Bronx was defended in the one game playoff as manager Aaron Boone made all of the right moves.

From picking Luis Severino to start the game, to batting Luke Voit 5th, and bringing in Dellin Betances with runners on base, everything worked out for Boone.  As the Red Sox are a very talented team, the Yankees skipper will need to continue pressing all of the right buttons against fellow rookie manager Alex Cora.

The starting pitcher for the Yankees

The Yankees were able to spare J.A. Happ from the Wild Card game, which could allow him to pitch two games in the ALDS (if needed), including Game 1.  Happ is 17-6 on the season with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.131 WHIP through 31 games pitched.  Although these are solid numbers, the Yankees acquired him due to his previous success against the Red Sox.

Against Boston in his career, Happ is 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.249 WHIP through 20 games pitched.  Although these are excellent numbers, he did recently pitch against the Red Sox at Fenway Park in the last series of the season, so it will be interesting to see if Cora’s lineup was able to get a good look at him that day.

Here is the lineup that Cora will use against Happ:

  1. Mookie Betts – RF
  2. Andrew Benintendi – LF
  3. Steve Pearce – 1B
  4. J.D. Martinez – DH
  5. Xander Bogaerts – SS
  6. Eduardo Nunez – 3B
  7. Ian Kinsler – 2B
  8. Sandy Leon – C
  9. Jackie Bradley Jr. – CF

The starting pitcher for the Red Sox

Chris Sale will take the mound for Boston despite his poor debut in the 2017 MLB playoffs against the Houston Astros.  Last October, Sale went 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA after he allowed 9 earned runs in just 9.2 innings pitched.

Regardless of these numbers, Sale has dominated the Yankees throughout his career.  In 17 games pitched, he holds a 6-4 record with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.894 WHIP.  This season, he is 2-0 against the Bronx Bombers with a 0.69 ERA and a 0.769 WHIP.

Here is the lineup Boone will use against Sale:

  1. Andrew McCutchen – LF
  2. Aaron Judge – RF
  3. Aaron Hicks – CF
  4. Giancarlo Stanton – DH
  5. Luke Voit – 1B
  6. Didi Gregorius – SS
  7. Miguel Andujar – 3B
  8. Gary Sanchez – C
  9. Gleyber Torres – 2B

This should be an ALDS for the ages as these two teams are so familiar with each other, despite recent changes to each roster.  Will Voit continue to be a large presence for the Yankees?  Will Pearce continue to demolish Yankees pitching?  Tune in to the game to find out!

Next. Which AL playoff team has the most home-grown talent?. dark

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